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"Does high blood pressure make surgery more risky?"

Question

I'm a man age 44 and I have to go into surgery for the removal of a benign tumor. I know it is supposed to be a relatively low-risk operation, but I also have high blood pressure. Does that factor make the surgery more risky? If so, would it be worthwhile to wait until I can lower my blood pressure?

Answer

Much research has been performed trying figuring out what increases patient's risk going into a major surgery. Simply having high blood pressure does not increase ones risk for poor operative outcomes. There are other disease such as severe coronary artery disease which does increase operative risk, but it sounds like you do not have severe coronary artery disease. With that said however, having high blood pressure does increase your risk of having heart disease in the future. You should make sure that you have regular follow up with your primary care physician to continue tweaking medications till your blood pressure is under control. I suggest you make sure to have an appointment with the surgeon that is performing the operation prior to your the date. I would ask him or her if you are the type of patient that needs pre-operative clearance before going under the knife. If high blood pressure is all you have in your past medical history, the answer may be no. If the answer is yes, then you will need to meet with an internal medicine or family practice physician before the operation to get clearance. It sounds like the former may end up being the case. Good luck.

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Zocdoc Answers is for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor (in the United States) 911 immediately. Always seek the advice of your doctor before starting or changing treatment. Medical professionals who provide responses to health-related questions are intended third party beneficiaries with certain rights under Zocdoc’s Terms of Service.